♪ ♪ hello, everything, i am david shuster in new york, welcome to al jazerra america, we want to update you on the breaking news out of canada. a soldier was shot and injured by a gunman this morning before running in to that country's parliament building. here are the latest details of the shooting so far. ottawa police say shots have been fired at at least three separate locations, first it was the canadian soldier shot at the national war memorial. we do not know his condition. police say the gunman then seized a car, drove a short distance to a nearby parliament

building, entered a facility. a began man, it's not clear if this was the same gunman, was reportedly shot and killed in the par lamb building, but the building remains under lock down, and police say they are actively looking for more shooters, including some at a shopping mall nearby both the pardon mtheparliament and war m. to give you an idea of the area, "the stream" here say map. the gunman war at the war more than yell drove to the parliament. canada's national newspaper, the globe and mail was able to get inside the parliament building. as the shots are fired there. here second degree video.

[ gunshots ] >> and now you are look at a live picture of that same building from the outside. again, this is the center block in parliament hill. and police have the building under lock down. several members of parliament confirming that they have heard multiple shots, witnesses also say that a gunman was shot and killed inside that building. members of parliament were meeting this morning, regularly-scheduled meetings. some suggesting that perhaps therefore this might have been some sort of coordinated or

deliberate attack on them. canadian prime minister harper was also in the parliament building and was escorted out safely. for some perspective on all of this, we are joined now by al jazerra's ali velshi. ali, you worked in this building back when you were with c tv. you know it well, you were just there a couple of months ago. your impressions of everything that we have seen this morning and the reporting that we have heard? >> unbelievable, david. this is not the kind of thing that you are used to seeing in ottawa. i will say this, that they do seem to have the situation under control in parliament. but there do seem to be three active scenes that are under investigation right now. the one that you showed, that's the center block of par lamb. there are also reports of a shooting at the chateau loria hotel. if you were standing looking at parliament over to your right is the hotel. it's one of the old canadian pacific railway hotels, a place that people would normally go certainly do business everybody if you are staying in ottawa, that's where you would be.

so that -- there are reports of a shooting there. also reports of a shooting at the certainty which you just mentioned which is exactly one block past that. that is the main shopping certain in ottawa. so police are unclear as to how many shooters there are. there are unclear as to what the situation, is however, a number of news outlets are reporting one gunman confirmed dead. so there are unclear whether there are multiple gunmen or one gunmen, i have been in touch with a couple of members of parliament who say they are still in lock down in the building. members of the globe and mail are said they are told to stay away from doors and windows. it looks like the situation at the center block of parliament is secure. but it's a very big building and canada doesn't really, you know, it's the same as walking in to congress, it's high security, it has metal detectors things like that. but this looks like a very different scene, somebody ran up and ran in. it was an active situation, as you can see from that video

police and rc m.p. were following this. now, the report is, david, that the gunmen who has been killed, and this is still all unconfirmed reporting, was shot by the sergeant at arms. the sergeant at arms, as you know from american traditioner it's the same thing, it's largely a ceremonial position, they are not really a sergeant. and authorities really an armed soldier. in this case the sergeant of arms is of parliament is a 30 year veteran of the r.c.m.p. so he apparently shot the gunman, one gunman confirmed dead by some news organizations oozing still unconfirmed about it. but that situation in ottawa, all public buildings are on lock down and police buildings are on lock down as well. they are asking the public to stay signed and not venture out until they have a sense of exactly how many shooters there are. >> we want to also keep on you the line and pass along some information. a member of parliament is now reporting that the soldier who

was shot standing guard at the war memorial has died. ali, i i winter if you can give us some perspective on the distance from the war memorial, how many guards are there, is that a ceremonial guard duty there. the distance from the parliament building did & this map the live section exteriors of the parliament. >> it's very close, you wouldn't have to drive. there are reports that he did drive from the war memorial to parliament i suppose if you are active and have a gun it's a more efficient way it get there. it's not that it's ceremonial, ottawa is just not washington. soldiers are responsible for monitoring these sites, but i don't think that a soldier who thinks thurman touring the war memorial feels like an active duty soldier a given day. parliament is a very open space. getting inside parliament is high security, but parliament is a very open space, you can walk

all around it, the memorials, you can get right up to the front of it. you can be right outside without having to show any i.d. or go through metal detectors or identify yourself. it's a big public space really. it's the equivalent of the mall in washington in a smaller sen sense. it's a big public space, it's not a place of men as, the royal canadian mounted police are responsible for the security around there. and there are guards stationed around there. i am seeing the reports that this soldier who was shot has died. so now it appears that the soldier has died and there are reports that the gunman has died. but they are unclear as to whether there may be other gunmen in and around that vicinity because there have been reports of other shootings in the neighborhood. we have also heard somewhere between 30 and 50 gunshots fired. unclear whether those are from one gun, more than one gunman or

the police returning fire. but there seem to have been a lot of gunfire. the reporters from the globe and mail are saying that they could smell it very clearly and hear it. this is a very active scene inside of parliament. but you are sight now a canadian television, you can seeing somebody being removed on a stretcher. again, it's unclear, still a little bit confusing but canadian reports are that there are three different shooting incidents nearby in ottawa. so those are the scenes that we seem to know are under investigation. this block of parliament, the chateau loria thole right by it and the main shopping mall which is right next that. oh, by the way, the distance between the center block and the center at the furthest we are not evening talking about a mile. it might be half a mile. >> ali srel sh velshi joining ue going to ask you to stand stand. we just saw something in the video we have been watching that seems to confirm a report

earlier that the gunman had taken a black car and driven right up to the front of the parliament building. we saw the police from behind there sort of tactical unit approach that black sedan, you can see in the foreground and then back away, so it would seem to suggest that perhaps that was the vehicle that the gunman or perhaps multiple gunmen used after the shots were fired at the memorial and then when they drove up to the parliament building and entered. but for the latest and there has been a lot of news coming out on social media, maria has been watching this, and gives us somewhat of you have been finding out. >> yeah. david, well, i first want to show you this image inside the caucus room this was tweeted out about 52 minutes ago from graham richardson he's with c. tv. take look at this. you can see some member of parliament inside the caucus hear. you can see here the door is barricadeed with chairs and benches, this image has been

circulated over 100 tiles, you can get an idea of what is like in there. jerry writes on the fifth floor of center block, r.c. dictionary m.p. he also writes stay in office, everyone lock doors, stay low. chase ensuing inside the offices then he tweets. at 95:00 a.m. i was in a meeting on the fifth floor center block when the leaders' office when i heard fires. upon immediate. he also tweeted out this picture. significant police presence outside of the office where i am in lock down. and he shows this imaging of the car, the one that you were just referring torque david, the black sedan with the door open right now may be what we are hearing is the stolen car, the assailant used. he goes on to say he can't do any interviews, he's in lock down right now. and he also tweeted out this

image earlier, tactical unit on scene right now. also we want to show you, downtown ottawa, what one bystander was shooting here. he just shoots the images of, you'll see in a second, media, you'll see a lot of -- some emergency response in the area. and also the police, the ottawa police have been tweeting out telling people to stay away from downtown ottawa. they are also directing people as far as bus traffic is concerned. and also telling the members of the public they are asked to not post videos or photos of the incident to insure safety of first responders and the public, david. >> great stuff, maria, thank you. >> thank you. joining us by phone is reporter lie an good man she is currently on lock down in her offices on parliament hill. leanne, first. of all i wonder if you can describe what you are seeing and hearing. >> we are not seeing much. the streets are desert the. they have cleared everything out and people are locked in their offices. literally not just locked in the building but locked in the office and we are been warned

not to look out windows or stand by windows. so there is definitely still people at large or so they seem to think, we are not getting much information from police about what he is going off. we are all in the dark. we are hearing more from parliament by what they are being told in their briefings. we were at the war memorial and one of our reporters talked to somebody who witnessed it from his office window, witnessed the entire thing, saw the guy shoot the soldier and hold up his arms with his rival in his arms sort of in triumph and run towards the parliament hill buildings, this is a crazy scene, completely not anything that most at that quaid agains canado seeing in this town we are all in shock and trying to figure out what's going on. >> leanne, your controlling that witnessed this shooting at the war memorial. did he say was just one shooter and raised his arm triumph family because there are

conflicting reports and multiple shooters. >> the reporter didn't witness it, he talked to somebody that witnessed it from his office nearby watched the whole thing unfold. at that point it was just the one guy and then he took off, he said he ran up the street toward parliament hill and then we know that somebody showed up in parliament hill and started shooting up parliament hill, dozens of shots were fired. and m.p.s are crediting the sergeant at arms which is largely a air men joel position for having brought that shooter down, apparently he killed that shooter. m.p.s are tweeting out their tanks to kevin vickers for having saved their lives, but now we have heard there might have been another, a third shooting. so we don't know where that was at first we were hearing it was certainty, the downtown shopping mall but they said it didn't happen there. we are trying to figure out where the third shooting is. three people in the hospital sounds like one might have died, we don't know which one that is, there are some conflicting reports about whether the soldier who was at the war

memorial had actually died. we are all in a bit of we are all sort of in the dark, unlike the united states, and i worked there for six years in dc. we don't get a lot of information the police don't update us. >> the soldier being killed is from a member of parliament, is that trust worth. >> i sounds like the par la men terriens are getting briefings they are in touch with the people there and they are get something good information. that we are not getting from the cops. how long would it take police to go through office by office and clear the scene and let all of you out? i am not in the center block we are across the street. it's a big, huge building.

i more they are taking battering rams and opening locked doors and not filing people it sounds like things are pretty sky there. but on the was, you know, we are in the middle of a bit of a forest here and there is a lot of places where just beyond the parliament building somebody could have ran down and got then to wooded areas, it's not clear where the other shooters are. we are not seeing anything on social media suggest that go they are shooting up any other buildings but obviously safety reasons everything is on lock down. >> is there anything in particular that they are discussing and debating or a target that might have been controversial for one group or other? >> certainly our efforts to join the isil, the campaign against isil, we had just on monday we had al cal sized frencwehad a ah

canadian guy waiting until he saw two soldiers ran them down with his car and he was radicalized he tried to go to syria to join the isil efforts. we have also revoked 90 passports of canadian citizens that want to go overseas and fight for isil, certainly there is a lot going on, and we have been warned that we can be a target. if this is, in fact, if it is connect we have been warned. and with here we are it is happening. >> she is across the street from parliament. we go to go to a al jazerra security contributor. j.j. green. first of all there was the incidents on monday, somebody ran down two soldiers, killing one, turned out that person had been trying to go to syria, the passports that canada has

revoked from people want to go travel to the middle ice to join isil. would you draw a connection between all of this? >> absolutely. it's important to look at what took place in 2001 when al qaeda began its reign of terrorism in the modern era by attacking the world trade center and other places the bali attacks, the london attacks, there was the madrid attacks. but in all of those years since 2001, they have never attacked canada. that's a fact. so what earlier sources i was talking to thought perhaps today was a copycat situation, but now they have changed their tune. these are government and military and intelligence folks in canada i have been talking to. they are now certain this is a new era in counter terrorism in canada. because of the situation that we have learned about the soldier being killed in canada who was a reservist. they realize it's much different

than a random or copycat event. >> in other words, the sources you are talking to suggest that there is a link between the incidents on monday when someone who wanted to go to syria ran down soldiers and of course the shooting inside the parliament? >> at the very least there is thinking right now that there is a copycat event that do could have tang place, but when you look at the fact that there are three separate shootings to the it's not likely that all of those are copycat if they had there had to be some coordination perhaps between them. those are all elements being looked in to. it's still very early in the situation, but what we do know is that the rc m.p. and the public security and canadian intelligence and al all the of their forces are taking a hard look and everything that is taking place and the stories from folks on the phone,

including leanne's story which was quite compelling they are looking at that as well and trying figure out what they can piece together but looking at a definite terrorism nexus. >> for everybody that is just joining us we are continues being our live coverage of the shootings in cot rah, canada today. first a shooting where a soldier has died. the shooter allegelily stole a car and drove a black sedan up to the middle of parliament hill to the center block building where he then went in and you can in fact you can see the black sedan in the foreground and according to multiple reports that shooter went in to the parliament building, there were shots exchanged, as many as 30 to 40 shots, reports that the sergeant of arms who is responsible for security in the parliament building, managed to kill kill the shooter there. the thing that has officials concerned is there are multiple

reports of shootings at a nearby hotel. reports of shots fired at the rideau center which is a nearby shopping mall. as police try to sort that all out everything remain on his lock down. we want to get back to ali. i was not ware that canada had tried to revoke the 90 or so passports of people who wanted to travel to the middle east to join isil, i was no also not aware that there had been this incident on monday in which somebody ran over two soldiers examine it turns out that person had aspirations to go to syria. it starts to paint a picture that all of this perhaps is connected to isil. >> and for a long time j.j. was just commenting, for a long time canada was actually seen by the united states and some canadians as being a little too liberal about folks who seem to be setting up shop in canada to, you know, to sort of carry on a battle from somewhere else. canada has sort of stepped this

up a little bit more in the last few years, but most recently not just joining the coalition to do with isil, but the idea that canada has go ahead we are not going to be the place where people can come to the west and set up shop and go back. i am not sure that that should be all that unexpected to people in canada who might be radicalized. you know, canada has not taken a road that's entirely different from the united kingdom or from the united states in sort of saying we are not -- we really have a shared border with the united states, we have to make sure that canada is not letting people in and letting people do things that -- where they could go to the united states or come back and use this as a base. so, again, i am not certain that the actions canada has taken recently would somehow trigger somebody who wanted to do bad things. i will say that the unusual part of this is this is not the kind of things that canadians have do think to think about or pictures even in the way americans have, in the united states when

something happens like this it may have nothing to do with terrorism but the psyche is to think that it immediately is. in canada it's not that at all. so the struggle that people will be having today is to say, wow, this is terrible but could it be terrorism? that would be a turning point for the canadian psych see. when you go to a place like ottawa, i know you have been, david, i believe that you have been, when you go to a place lie ottawa you get a disk feeling than you do when you travel around the government enclave in washington. in washington you are sure it's a secure environment. ottawa is a friendly warm village kind of a place in downtown ottawa. so this idea that a ceremonial guard would be shot and killed and then someone would run inside parliament, now you can see from the video, that the global and mail shot, the cell phone video shot inside the certainty block, that as soon as the gunfire is heard, you can see rcmp officers, you can tell because they have got those

yellow stripes on their hats and badges authorize rcmp officers, they are in motion very quickly. if you are in parliament, you really get the sense that it's very secure. but this idea that it's a reaction to government action, you know, canada has taken a strong stand, it's not a pivot. this is the direction canada has been going in for some while think but, yes, there was a soldier killed and run down on monday and the, you know, look, the news isn't fully out this yet but it does appear that it's something that was radicalize the as the earlier reporter said and was targeting a member of the canadian military. >> ali velshi who has spent a lot of time in ottawa. and by the way, with he want to let all of our viewers know that the white house has started its briefing. josh earnest is onto question but as is the tradition i suppose at these event earnest says that the obama administration is monitoring the developments closely and working with the allies in canada to collect intelligence and share information.

back to ali shel velshi the cloe twice between canada and united states, perhaps closer than nigh ally the united states has, what would that entail between how informs is shared between ottawa and washington. >> it's very close, in fact, there is an anecdote i want to give you. we are getting conflicting reports about whether the u.s. embassy is being affected by this. if you go to canada, you go to parliament, if you walk out of parliament the first building you encounter is the shoot toe lohr yeah hotel. the next building that you encounter is the united states em pasembassy and then the rideu center which is the shopping center and that is symbolic as the canadian embassy in washington and it's proximity to washington is symbolic obviously of relationship between these two countries. it's didn't an excellent relationship for century. but as far as sharing concerns there is no better relationship,

nothing more seamless, if you recall going back to 911 it was immediately activated that there would be no inbound aircraft traffic coming in to airports in the united states and if you were inbound to a u.s. destination you had to immediately divert. and canada opened up an air base there for all jumbo jets, major airliners and heavy jets to land and that's where all inbound americans were redirected. so that is a remarkably seamless relationship. you can be sure the minute it happened, the u.s. was brief odd a military level. that is a completely seamless relationship. >> ali velshi. thank you very much. for everybody just joining us, again, the news is that a soldier has died at the war memorial in ottawa this morning, right near parliament. he was apparently shot and killed by an unidentified gun americans he then apparently stole a car and raced in to the main parliament building known as center block, you are looking

at video of that now where approximately 30 or 40 more shots were fired. the sergeant at arms was able to shoot and kill the gunman, what has police so concerned at this very hour are the reports of other shooting locations reports of shots fired at the chateau loria hotel which is also nearby, also connecticut firmed reports of shots fire at the rideau center which is a nearby shopping mall as police are trying to chase all of that down and concern about his multiple gunmen the situation, of course, remains very fluid. watching all of this play out on social media and she janes us now, maria anything new popping up on social media. >> i just want to show you a map and the proximity to parliament here to the national war memorial you were talking about a second on th ago. this goes the national war memorial area right here. if you go down wellington avenue right here here, right here, parliament here are hill area

all the way here, so it's actually about a four-minute driving distance, very close by, i want to show you this proximity and police telling people to stay away from the downtown area right now. >> all right markets rhea, thank you vermaria we we are going take take quake break our coverage continues the shooting in ottawa canada on the other side of this break.

welcome back to al jazerra america, this is david shoe ter you are looking at a live picture in canada where approximately 30 or 40 shots are fired this morning, the latest information from ottawa police is that they are looking for multiple suspects according to police, one suspect apparently has been killed this morning in that very building. he apparently shot a soldier standing guard at the war memorial and then stole a car and then went up in to the parliament building. and you can see the video of what ensued at that point. returning shots fired with reports that the sergeant of arms in that particular office managed to shoot and kill the suspect. the problem that police are having right now is there are multiple reports of shots that were fired at the chateau loria

hotel which is a nearby parliament hill, also reports shots fired at this rideau center which is a nearby shopping mall. ottawa police have warned residents in the city to stay inside and away from windows. and of course there is a furious manhunt under way to try to find other possible suspects. and there you can see a shot of the war memorial which is nearby parliament hill and you can see -- barely see the police or police tape out front. that is apparent police where all of this gun at approximately 10:00 this morning. let's get some perspective again from al jazerra's ali velshi. on the other side of the break we were talking about the significance of canada taking steps to revoke passports of some 90 people trying to go the middle east to fight with isil. also earlier this week a man allegedly ran down two soldiers with his car and he apparently was killed in that incidents and it was found the